Most of the time, broccoli soup doesn’t necessarily impress. But for me, it brings back great memories of my childhood, my beloved grandparents, and when I first fell in love with restaurants and food.
My grandparents had a modest fortune, and going out to eat at a restaurant was a very special treat. They lavished on my cousin, Jackie, and me. They took us to The Peppermill, an old restaurant in Fresno, California that unfortunately closed a few years ago. We ordered the Shirley Temple in a tall cocktail glass, served with a giant fruit skewer and a paper umbrella. Another favorite on the menu was the broccoli soup. In hindsight, it was an odd choice for a kid, but it was creamy and delicious, and I don’t actually remember ordering anything else from that menu. I just loved it.
This is my version of that creamy broccoli soup. Every time I make it, I think of my kind grandparents. It also gives me a craving for some really great Shirley Temple.
broccoli soup recipe
material
- 4 tablespoons bacon fat (or butter)
- 6 cups (about 3 crowns) of chopped broccoli
- 4 celery ribs (roughly chopped)
- 1 yellow onion (roughly chopped)
- 3-4 garlic cloves (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon Tastier than bouillon
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup fresh cream
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons cubed butter
- 1/8 teaspoon red chili flakes
- salt and pepper taste
Roux:
- 1/3 cup cubed butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Method
- In a large soup pan, sauté onions in bacon fat over medium/high heat until onions begin to brown slightly. Add garlic and fry until fragrant.
- Add broccoli and celery and cook until tender.
- Add chicken stock and Better Than Bouillon.Boil until all the vegetables are gone very soft.
- Place the cubed butter in a separate pot and melt over low/medium-low heat. Once the butter has melted, mix in the flour until it forms a roux. Cook the roux for about 1 minute, whisking it around the pan to bring out the raw flour flavor, then remove from the heat and set aside.
- Once the vegetables are soft and crumbly, remove the soup from the heat and blend until smooth using a traditional or immersion blender.
- Return the soup to the heat and stir in the roux, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Add cream, butter, and red pepper flakes and stir until butter is melted.
- Finish with lemon juice.
- Serve with crusty bread, sour cream and pepitas. Shirley Temple is optional.
Broccoli soup tips and tricks
- This recipe calls for a roux, but you can also thicken it by adding a few slices of bread to the vegetable mixture to soften it and then puree it. This option is good if you want to use less dairy or just don’t want to mess up another pot.
- Broccoli soup is one of our favorites, but you can use this method to make a creamy soup from just about any vegetable in your crisper drawer. Replace the broccoli with cauliflower, zucchini, or potatoes for an equally delicious creamy vegetable soup.
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